James Reid recalls ₱150M business loss, credits Issa Pressman for emotional recovery

Singer-actor opens up on business fallout, Wavy Baby fiasco, and how love helped him rebuild.

Actor-singer James Reid revealed that girlfriend Issa Pressman helped him recover after allegedly losing ₱150 million due to issues involving a former business partner at Careless Music.

Speaking on Gary Valenciano’s podcast “Unshaken,” Reid said the financial loss represented more than a decade of hard work. “I lost ₱150 million. That was like the last 10 years of work that I’ve done, probably more. It was almost all of what I’ve saved,” he said.

Reid shared that it was Issa who pushed him to confront the situation—something he initially struggled to do because he trusted his business partner, whom he also considered a friend.

“It was Issa that woke me up to all of it. She’s the one that really had to shake me and be like, ‘Hey, you really need to wake up. This is, I think, really what’s going on,’” he recalled.

He also looked back on the controversial 2023 Wavy Baby Music Festival in Mandaue, Cebu, produced by Careless Music, which drew criticism over logistical issues.

“It was a nightmare… just problem after problem after problem, and police showing up because it was just not planned properly,” he said, noting that his former business partner led the project.

Reid said the same period also marked the start of his relationship with Issa.

“As horrific as everything that was going on right then, there was also something even more beautiful happening at the same time,” he shared, adding that being in love helped him cope with the turmoil.

After the ordeal, Reid said he removed his former business partner from both the company and his life. Looking back, he credited Issa for helping him through the crisis and inspiring his next chapter.

“That love became my compass… I believe that God sent specifically the brightest light in my darkest moments,” he said, adding that she continues to guide him in both life and music.

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